A Hero From A Far Away Land
by ToucheMonAmie
Summary: Emma finds an admirer in Aurora after she learns of Maleficent's fate.
1. Chapter 1

"What the hell was that?" Emma breaths, when a deep guttural call sounds off into the distance.

Mulan, Aurora and Snow have already stopped dead in their tracks at the sound. Snow with her eyes closed, sighs, "Ogres." She replies, reluctantly.

Emma's head whips round to her direction, "Ogres?" She repeats, a mixture of horror and disbelief evident in her features.

"RUN!" Snow yells suddenly, as the call grows louder.

The four women start immediately for the opening of the forest they were originally heading for. Inside Mulan, Aurora and Snow navigate their way with all the ease of an Enchanted Forest inhabitant but Emma finds herself tripping over every other root and branch, the confines of her tied hands only making matters worse. After two hundred yards or so, Mulan calls back to the lagging Emma and Snow to indicate a hiding spot, nestled under a ridge of built up earth. The four women cram under it, Snow and Aurora kneeling with Mulan choosing to crouch instead, ready if the need to escape quickly arises.

"Emma? Are you ok?" Snows asks gently, placing her hand on Emma's arm, when she notices the blondes head resting on her knees.

"Honestly?" Emma replies, lifting her head up to meet Snow's worried gaze. "Not really. Can't say this has exactly been a banner week for me, what with breaking curses, running from ogres, fighting dragons-"

"Fighting dragons?" Aurora cuts in suddenly, eyes narrowed, her voice thick with suspicion. "I thought you said your world had no magic?" She directs at Snow.

Snow looks up at Aurora at that, with a conflicted expression, which reminds Emma all too much of Mary Margaret.

"Hey, lay off her, _Sleeping Beauty_." Emma interjects. "The dragon was a friend of Regina's she brought along for the ride."

The colour visibly drains from Aurora's face at that, her features softening instantly. "Maleficent." She states simply, in barely a whisper, seemingly to no one. "Mulan, do you think it could be?"

Mulan shrugs her shoulders in response to the princess. "It sounds plausible. Unless the Evil Queen has any other scaly friends we don't know about."

"I can think of one or two."Snow scoffs to herself.

"What of Maleficent now? Is she still a danger? Is she still in her dragon form?" Aurora presses on, staring expectantly at Emma.

Emma all but squirms under the princesses unrelenting gaze. "Well, not exactly." Emma replies, all too vaguely for the princess, who widens her eyes, prompting Emma to continue. "I, I killed her."

Aurora gasps softly at Emma's admission. "She's dead?"

Emma simply nods once solemnly in response.

"I can't believe it." Aurora breaths, shaking her head. "She's actually dead."

With Emma and Snow unable to think of any appropriate response, Mulan quietly cuts in to break the heavy silence that has fallen over them.

"I think we're probably safe now. From the ogres. But we have to keep moving if we want to reach the safe haven by night fall."

Effectively pulling Aurora from her train of thought, the princess looks up at the rising Mulan, nodding quickly in agreement before the others follow in her direction.

Unable to sleep with the recent news of Maleficent's fate, Aurora finds herself navigating her way in the direction of the sleeping prisoners. She stops a yard away from the sleeping blonde, regarding her features that have softened considerably with the presence of sleep, her hair glimmering almost golden in colour under the flicker of candlelight. The princess kneels down softly next to her, placing a gentle but firm hand on her upper arm.

"Emma? Emma?" She calls softly, rousing the blonde with a soft shake.

Emma gasps at the force of being woken, her features hardening instantly again from fear.

"I thought you were an ogre!" Emma snaps, visible annoyed at being woken from what little sleep she had managed to get in the last day and a half.

"Charming!" Aurora retorts, snatching her hand back from Emma's arm.

Emma rolls her eyes at Aurora's seemingly oblivious choice of words. "What is it?" Emma prompts her, awkwardly stifling a yawn with her tied hands. "Are we on the move again?"

Aurora shakes her head gently in response. "No. I'm sorry I didn't mean to alarm you. I just, I came to thank you. For Maleficent." She explains, at Emma's look of confusion.

"Oh." Emma replies, taken aback by the princesses reason for waking her. "Erm, you're…welcome. I guess." Emma adds, unsurely.

Aurora smiles warmly at Emma's bashful response. "I mean it. Thank you. You can't imagine how I must feel right now. And for that, I don't know how I could possibly thank you enough."

"Well, I guess you could cut off these ropes for a start." Emma gestures to her hands, jokingly.

"Oh." Aurora says, as if only realising Emma's hands were tied for the first time. "Of course." She adds briskly, taking a small dagger from her waist.

Emma raises her eyebrows at the princesses actions, having only been joking about her undoing the ties.

"There." Aurora announces triumphantly, when Emma's hands are free. "You'll probably sleep much better now." She adds, with a reassuring smile, her blue eyes gleaming in the low candlelight.

"Er, yeah. Thanks." Emma replies, wringing her chaffed wrists.

Aurora shifts back on her knees. "I better let you rest. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

"Yeah, I guess I will." Emma muses. "Goodnight Aurora." She adds awkwardly, as the princess makes to stand.

A warm, genuine smile tugs at the princesses lips at that, before she bends back down to Emma. "Goodnight. _Saviour_." She replies, before placing a gentle kiss to Emma's cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

It is the sound of raised voices behind her that finally rouses Emma out of her restless sleep. If what she has experienced can even be termed, 'sleep'.

"May I remind you, _Princess_," Mulan all but growls, spitting out the last part, her anger getting the better of her usually stoic disposition. "that the reason why Philip isn't _here_ is because of them!"

"But it isn't though, is it." Aurora replies, her own voice high with emotion. "They may have come through with that…_thing_, but they didn't send it. The Queen, Regina did."

Mulan scoffs at her reply. "Regina? And you really believe _them_ do you?"

Not even a heartbeat passes before Aurora responds. "Yes! I do." Aurora cries. "I trust Emma." She adds quietly.

"Emma? Since when did you start referring to the prisoner as, 'Emma'?" Mulan asks, anger once again creeping back into her voice.

"Since the _prisoner_ saved your girlfriends ass from a dragon." Emma thunders from her resting spot behind them, not bothering to turn and meet their gazes. "You mind? I _was_ trying to get some sleep here." She grumbles, making a show out of trying to get comfortable on the rock hard ground.

Mulan's only response to Emma's outburst is a defiant huff of breath before stomping off.

"Mulan. Mulan! Where are you going?" Aurora demands, as the warrior strides away from her.

"I'm going to find us something to eat!" Mulan shouts back, not even turning to face Aurora. "But don't worry, you've got _Emma,_ in case you need your ass saving again!" She adds, her harsh words leaving Aurora silent and stunned.

After Mulan has returned, sullen and silent, the four woman sit in awkward silence around a small fire Snow has managed to start, and begin to eat what meagre food Mulan has managed to find; two rabbits, and small rabbits at that. Although she has remained silent, it is obvious to see what Emma thinks of them, having frowned openly at them the entire time Snow spent roasting them. Once they are cooked through, Snow divides each rabbit in two; handing half to Aurora first, who hesitates at the sight of Snow's grease stained fingers and then the other half to Mulan, who takes it with a stiff, grateful nod. Frowning, Aurora begins to nibble tentatively at the rabbit in her hand, as Mulan remains still, as she watches Snow split her own rabbit between her and Emma. Emma huffs out a sigh at the sight of the rather pathetic looking piece of meat but takes it none the less from Snow's out stretched hand, and with another sigh takes a large, unreserved bite from it.

"_God_, I could kill for a coffee and a bear claw right now." She says, breaking the long drawn out silence, after swallowing the slightly burnt piece of rabbit.

At this, Aurora looks up from her own rabbit at Emma, wide eyed and slightly open mouthed. Mulan's frown, if it were thought even possible, only deepens at this outburst, her eyes having already been trained on Emma.

Emma lets out a small nervous laugh at the look on Aurora's face. "I don't mean an _actual _bear's claw. It's a type of…well, I'm guessing you have pastries here." Emma tries to explain, turning to Snow.

"Yes. We have pastries here." Snow says in a tired tone, shaking her head slightly.

"Yeah, well, there you go. It's a type of pastry, that's all." Emma continues, turning her attention back to the princess in front of her.

"You would kill for a pastry?" Mulan asks slowly, accusingly, her dark gaze having not left Emma throughout this small conversation.

Aurora's eyes flick warily between Emma and Mulan, as the blonde lets out another nervous laugh.

"Well not _literally_." Emma replies, "It's just a saying." She adds, with a shrug.

This time, it is Aurora that laughs nervously, suddenly becoming very aware of the powerful tension hanging in the air. "Oh Mulan. You take _everything_ so seriously. Of course she didn't mean _literally_."

The warrior's gaze finally moves from Emma to Aurora, as she simply replies, "Of course." With a small, forced smile.

"So," Aurora carries on cautiously, trying to quell the tension still lingering. "This, coffee, is that a pastry as well?" She adds, finding herself genuinely interested about these new oddities.

"Oh, no," Emma begins, laughing. "I guess it's kind of like tea, but, better. Seriously it's amazing."

Aurora smiles anew at that. "Well, you speak so highly of it, I feel compelled to try it now."

"Oh trust me, soon as we get back to Storybrooke, you'll have to." Emma replies absentmindedly, picking at the rabbit in her hand.

Her smile falters at that, for as soon as the words have left her mouth, she sighs internally, almost cringing at the fresh awkwardness her words have caused again. Her suspicions are confirmed as she lifts up her head slowly to meet Aurora's once again wide eyed silence.

"Why would we be returning to Storybrooke with you?" Mulan asks, her eyes narrowed at Emma, her question asked in no less a tone than Emma was anticipating.

"I don't know," Emma shrugs casually, "I just thought, what with your land having been destroyed and most of your people gone…you might want to hitch a ride back with us."

Having been the one to inquire into Emma's response, or rather grill Emma, as she can't help but feel that is what is happening, Mulan doesn't say anything in reply to this, choosing instead to silently mull over what Emma has said. Emma even thought she saw a glimpse of the warriors features softening.

Snow, who had remained relatively quiet between the small heated exchange, having also sensed the tension between Mulan and her daughter, lay her rabbit on the ground before looking pointedly at Mulan.

"I think it would probably be a good idea if we got some more fire wood before it got dark. Mulan, I haven't been in these woods for over twenty eight years now and you obviously know them a lot better than me," Snow begins, knowing she may need a little flattery to get the warrior on side. "Would you care to guide me?"

Mulan's gaze turns thoughtfully to Snow as she considers her words.

"I should stay with the princess." Mulan says finally, as if only just being reminded of her vow to protect Aurora.

"Mulan, you don't have to watch over me night and day. I'm not a child." Aurora chides her, although her tone is lacking in any real sharpness. "Besides, I'll be fine. Emma is here."

_Yes, and that's exactly why she thinks she should stay, _Snow sighs internally.

"Look, I know we haven't gotten off to the best of starts but Mulan, Emma and I really do mean you and Aurora no harm. Please, let us prove that to you." Snow sighs, her features open and apologetic.

Against her better judgment, Mulan's defiance wanes at the hopeful, expectant look on Aurora's face.

"Fine. Let's just get back before it's dark." Mulan sighs, before heading with Snow to gather provisions.

In Snow and Mulan's absence, Emma and Aurora discuss all manner of topics; Aurora eager to hear all there is of this mysterious Storybrooke. After a short lull in their conversation, Aurora decides to inquire about the small metal object that has been attached to Emma's belt since her arrival.

"That weapon you brought with you," Aurora starts to say thoughtfully, trying to remember what she had overheard Emma call it. "The, _gun_. How does it work exactly?"

Emma, although slightly taken aback by the princesses interest in her gun, finds herself somewhat amused by the turn of conversation.

"Well," She says, taking the gun from her belt. "You've got your chamber of the gun, which you put your bullets in. I guess these are kind of like the equivalent of an arrow to a bow. This bit here, that's your trigger. You pull this with your finger to cause a reaction inside the gun which, well, shoots the bullet out."

"I see." Aurora replies, looking as if what Emma has just said might well have been in Spanish.

Emma laughs at her response, before an idea occurs to her. "I could, teach you, if you want. I don't know if that would help."

A warm, genuine smile spreads over Aurora's features. "I don't know. I'd probably just end up injuring myself, probably spectacularly mind you but never the less." She answers despondently. "What?" She adds, when Emma laughs at her.

"Nothing. It's just, you reminded me of someone then. Someone who should have had a lot more confidence in herself than she did." Emma replies.

Aurora smiles wanly at that. "Yes, well, I doubt your friend was as hopeless as me. You may all be too polite to say it, but I know what you all think of me. The spoilt, useless, princess. Holding everyone back."

Aurora's words stir something in Emma, as she watches the princess struggle to compose her features.

"Hey, come on, you're not useless. I bet I can make a sharp shooter out of you before Mulan and Snow even get back." Emma suggests, standing up and holding out the gun for Aurora, with an easy smile.

"Ok, so you've got your eye on the target, right?" Emma says from behind Aurora, watching the young princess raise her gun. "So, now you want to extend your arm, but don't tense it." Emma instructs, as Aurora struggles.

"I know. It's just heavier than I expected."

"Well, in that case," Emma says, closing the gap between them; placing her right hand on Aurora's, and using her left to bring the princesses other hand to the other side of the gun. "You may want to use both hands. If that makes it easier."

Aurora stiffens in Emma's hold, but if she feels it she does not react.

"So," Emma continues, "Raise your arms again, nice and straight. Not too tense, just try and relax. Now, which eye is better?"

Aurora feels her breath hitch in her throat at the sensation of Emma's words against her nape. "I'm sorry?" She breathes out, realising she hadn't even heard what Emma had said.

"Your eyes, which one is strongest; left or right?"

She feels the warmth from Emma behind her seep into her. The contact, Aurora finds, is curiously exhilarating.

"Oh. My…my left." She barely manages to get out, as Emma shifts behind her.

"Right, so you're gonna want to close your right eye then. It makes it easier to focus on the target. Now, before you pull the trigger, I want you to take a deep breath in. The force of the gun going off is going to push back, so you're going to need to breathe out as you fire to keep you steady. OK? Aurora?" Emma says, when the princess doesn't respond.

Emma feels the gun go slack in her hands before she even has chance to register the brush of soft lips against hers, as Aurora has spun around in her grip, her right hand finding the back of Emma's neck. The kiss is over before it's even began, as Aurora pulls herself away from Emma, yet not out of her arms, Emma notes.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't even know where that came from I just…"

Seeing the princess struggling with her emotions again, Emma did all she could think to ease her confusion. She dropped the gun lightly on the floor, before turning Aurora around in her arms and leaning in to recapture her lips. When they finally brake away from each other, breathless and grinning like fools, Aurora asks something that has been playing on her mind since earlier this evening.

"Did you, did you really mean it, about going back to Storybrooke with you? " She asks quietly, meekly meeting Emma's gaze.

In truth, Emma had only said that at the time in passing comment but the look of sheer tentative, adoration and hope on Aurora's face ignited something in Emma that had long been kindling and she knew in that moment that going back to Storybrooke without her wasn't even an option.

"Every word of it." Emma says, resting her brow against the princesses in her arms.


End file.
